Services

Pensioner rescued from Caerphilly blaze dies

The 94-year-old man who died in a fire at his bungalow in Caerphilly last night has been named by his carer as Frank Samuel Thomas.

UPDATE: 12.21pm

Neighbour Natalie Jenkins, 36, heard screams from her home on Heol y Pia in Glenfields, where the elderly man, named by residents as Frank, was found motionless on his living room floor.

Ms Jenkins said: “We were getting a bath tub delivered to our house and I could hear screaming. Peggy [Leigh], his carer, was shouting that Frank was inside.

“I ran over there with Paul who was helping me with the bath tub and we went round the back because his bedroom was on that side.

“I handed Paul an iron patio table to smash open the window – it kept bouncing off the plastic window but eventually it smashed. By this time another man, who I didn’t recognise, came to help and went inside with Paul. Both of them took a deep breath and went in to get him.

She added: “I’ve lived here for 16 years – everyone knows Frank. He would often stand on his driveway and stop anyone just to chat to them.

“We haven’t slept all night. It’s awful and you don’t expect it to happen here.”

UPDATE: 9.36am

A Gwent Police spokesman said confirmed the 94-year-old man was taken to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff last night, where he died a short time later.

UPDATE: 8.28am

A MAN who was rescued from a house fire in Caerphilly last night has died.

A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said neighbours and people passing by had “valiantly rescued” the man from the bungalow on Heol y Pia and he was taken to hospital by paramedics, where he later died.

Two fire crews from Caerphilly and another crew from Treharris attended the fire after being called out at 7.24pm. They left at 10.49pm.

The fire service spokesman said an investigation into the cause of fire will continue this morning.

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